Corumbene Stud's George Altomonte was impressed enough by Julius Sandhu's handing of Group II MRC Rubiton Stakes winner Lofty Strike to entrust the Cranbourne-based trainer with the full-sister Excess and was rewarded with a debut win at Cranbourne on Thursday.
With Beau Mertens sporting the silks carried to Golden Slipper success by the filly's dam Overreach, Excess (Snitzel) defeated the Russian Revolution debutant Revalene by three-quarters of a length with a further two lengths back to the All Too Hard first-starter Indian Jewel in third.
A $180,000 purchase for the Lofty Thoroughbred Group from the Corumbene Stud draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Lofty Strike banked over $1,000,000 in ten starts and was second in the Group 1 Newmarket Hcp and Group 1 Oakleigh Plate.
Sandhu said Excess has inherited a degree of her year-older brother's ability and will chase some black-type over the Flemington Carnival.
"She is still a bit green, and there is a fair bit of improvement to come," Sandhu told Racing.com.
"Very pleasing to see the way she handled herself. I think that was the question mark—how she would go about the first day at the races.
"She seemed to do a lot right before the race. A little bit green obviously when Beau got her off the fence, she wanted to run about and do a few bits and pieces, but that will come with experience."
"It wasn't an easy race to win. There were some nice horses there, but she got the job done.
"There's a bit in the tank yet, so we'll go home, and hopefully, everything works well, and we'll see what happens from there.
"I think you'll see a more furnished horse when she returns in her next prep."
If Excess measures up in a race at Moonee Valley in three weeks, the chase will be on to earn black-type.
The daughter of Snitzel is the third winner from as many foals for Corumbene's 2013 ATC Golden Slipper winner Overreach, and all have displayed well-above-average ability.
The daughter of Exceed And Excel had a troubled start to her broodmare career.
Her first foal by Sepoy died, and then she missed to Fastnet Rock before foaling a Snitzel colt named Talbragar.
Retained to race by George Altomonte, Talbragar won his first three starts before his unbeaten run ended in the Kosciuszko last October. He returned to the track in March, winning at Tamworth and Scone before finishing second in the $500,000 Newhaven Park Country Championships Final (1400m) at Randwick on Doncaster/Derby Day.
The lightly raced, Cody Morgan-trained gelding won a barrier trial at Tamworth on August 25.
A sister to Corumbene's Group II ATC Expressway Stakes winner Standout and stakes-placed Outreach, Overreach is a three-quarter sister to Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Reward For Effort.
Overreach has a 2yo filly foal by Zoustar named Ninette.
After foaling a Capitalist filly last spring, Overreach paid another visit to Snitzel.
